Caroline's Blog: The Weight-Loss Mistake Holiday Cooks Make

I got through Thanksgiving and now I just need to get past Christmas and New Year's. I have high hopes for myself. My plan is to stay away from the bad habits that add calories onto your day without you even realizing it.

Happy holidays! It's that time of year, and by that I mean the time of excess eating and drinking!

I got through Thanksgiving, and now I just need to get past Christmas and New Year's. I have high hopes for myself. My plan is to stay away from the bad habits that add calories to your day without you even realizing it.

I usually host Christmas Eve at my house with a gathering of anywhere between 35 to 40 friends and family members. That's a lot of cooking and a lot of prep time, as well. I have a bad habit of grazing while I cook, tasting and snacking all through the process. Think about all the food you consume during that time. When I bake, I sample a cookie from each batch; when I cook, I sample a little bit of each recipe I prepare. How many of you are guilty of the same? We don't even realize how many calories we are ingesting because it's not counted as a meal, or even a snack. It's part of the process, right?

Another hidden calorie threat is drinking while cooking. I will open a bottle of wine or eggnog and just sip while preparing food. Again, those sips add up to pounds. Beware! Have some chilled water with lemon handy; that's my plan. It's good for you and refreshing as well.

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